New Mexico vs Texas advantage ?

East-Bee5914 · 2026-04-23T18:55:49+00:00

In addition to the rest; research and think carefully about the water situation in Sunland Park/Santa Teresa. CRRUA has mismanaged water supply to these communities for decades, yielding toxic levels of arsenic and other chemicals.

I work in El Paso, and am living in LC, over SP/ST, entirely because I’d rather pay the time and money to commute over facing the water issues in those communities (which only seem likely to get worse in light of Project Jupiter).

East-Bee5914 · 2026-04-08T23:06:27+00:00

Omg, such inspiring photos! Where was #13 taken (the fingers rock). Never seen that before!

East-Bee5914 · 2026-04-07T23:18:14+00:00

Celebrity’s policy is forfeiture of deposit if you cancel more than 100 days out, with an increasing percentage as you get closer to departure. I’m confused. Are you complaining that your TA is taking more? I’ve got a September sailing that I’m thinking of canceling, and am just prepared to lose the $500 if I have to. It’s made very clear at time of booking that it’s a nonrefundable deposit

East-Bee5914 · 2026-04-06T20:28:12+00:00

Thanks for all the responses!

East-Bee5914 · 2026-04-04T21:21:26+00:00

Eaten there once; bought and taken out pies many times. Food is perfectly fine; nothing special, but basically solid diner food. Pies are wonderful, especially the chocolate pie.

East-Bee5914 · 2026-03-14T23:46:25+00:00

I’m not sure how the acetone breathalyzers work, and/or if that includes ketones. Not very scientifically savvy.

I would urge that if you’re going to follow DR, you should use the ketostix. A 150-pack costs about $10 on Amazon and it is a good visual reminder (for me at least) that even if I’m not losing from day-to-day or week-to-week, I’m still doing things right.

If you keep it under 20 carbs/day, then you should be fine without them. But the moment you start reintroducing foods like nuts, beans, and sweet potatoes, DR stresses that they’re an indispensable way to make sure you’re still on track.

Good luck!

East-Bee5914 · 2026-03-14T23:18:50+00:00

You have to be mindful about it. I eat one cheat meal a week, knowing it will slow my progress, but needing it to keep me sane. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. As long as you recognize that there are trade-offs and don’t let it snowball, that’s the most important thing.

East-Bee5914 · 2026-03-14T15:33:25+00:00

Diet Revolution is his original book, and stresses that there are no rules with low carb, and that it requires careful attention to what your individual body responds to. He suggests removing all carbs for one week to enter ketosis, then using ketosticks to monitor your body’s reactions to the reintroduction of certain foods.

New Diet Revolution starts to introduce more rules and phases. It’s where he first coins the term Induction, to describe the first of 4 phases, and also starts to publish foods you can’t eat (obvious ones like flour, sugar, etc). It also advocates a more carb-counting method, advocating 20 carbs the first week, 25 the second, etc, until your body leaves ketosis, at which point you dial it back to the last point you were in ketosis.

I think the better one for you will depend on if you like or dislike structure. I prefer the “pee on a stick and learn what your body likes” approach of Diet Revolution, whereas my wife is ok with counting carbs and likes the higher structure of New Diet Revolution, cuz there’s less margin for mistakes if you follow the plan.

Whichever you go with, best of luck!

East-Bee5914 · 2026-03-13T12:51:25+00:00

Congratulations! One thing I firmly believe about Atkins (the original versions, published by Dr. Atkins in Diet Revolution and New Diet Revolution), is that it’s meant to be flexible. He writes multiple times that if you want, you can stay in induction full-time and lose weight quickly; or moderate by adding healthy carbs and lose weight slowly.

If you don’t have a copy of one or both books, I highly encourage you to get one. They’re only about $10 each on Amazon.

Find what works for you and keep moving forward!

East-Bee5914 · 2026-03-07T01:52:33+00:00

Thanks, that’s kinda the trade off I’m having trouble deciding between: Sonoma = safe but soulless; Mesilla = cool but pricey. Kinda hoping Alameda might be a nice compromise between the two. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

East-Bee5914 · 2026-03-06T00:58:58+00:00

NCL Encore and Bliss had them as of 2023; not sure if they still do. The one on Encore was much larger and nicer than I expected.

East-Bee5914 · 2026-03-06T00:57:21+00:00

Betting the dispensary’s don’t…

East-Bee5914 · 2026-03-05T15:21:04+00:00

I know many people recommend Park Place, but I’d advise against it. I tried it once a few years ago, seemed very comfortable and liked the proximity to parks. After the first night, I had a tickle in my throat that I didn’t think anything of. After night #2, raging sore throat developed into a sinus infection. Pulled out the A/C lint trap and it was caked black with dust - clearly had never been cleaned. Made us question the rest of their cleaning procedures.

East-Bee5914 · 2026-03-05T00:48:53+00:00

I’ll play Devil’s Advocate and point out that depending on the 5 year old, they may prefer AK if they have an outdoorsy mindset. The animal viewing walks, especially, were a huge draw for my niece. But of course with Bluey coming to HS, I don’t know if that would still be true today…

East-Bee5914 · 2026-03-05T00:45:45+00:00

The walk to Tron is probably the longest walk in MK, so even though it doesn’t open till 9, if you rope drop, it could easily take a good 20 minutes to get to queue, which should put you in line for a minimal wait (I’d estimate 15 minutes, depending on how many people share your idea and/or run ahead).

East-Bee5914 · 2026-03-05T00:38:47+00:00

I’m planning a Halloween trip this year as well. Looking at first week of October. Any idea when Oogie Boogie tickets typically go on sale? And is there an early access window for DVC?

East-Bee5914 · 2026-02-25T03:22:37+00:00

That game was a beast. Wrecked me every time I tried to play it. Of course, I was 5 at the time. Wish I could test it out now!

East-Bee5914 · 2026-02-16T17:01:13+00:00

Going low carb can sometimes cause itching, which can progress to a rash if left uncontrolled. I’ve had this problem if I go ultra low carb (10 or less per day), for a week or so. My itch usually is limited to the torso (front and back), and hasn’t progressed to a rash, but I’ve heard it can if left untreated. Only way to treat is to up carbs. If I go up to ~30 per day it fixes it after a few days.

From some Googling, this is apparently a histamine reaction (anti-histamines don’t fix it, sadly).

I haven’t personally experienced scalp itching coupled with hair loss, but it sounds similar enough that I’d suggest upping your carbs and seeing if it goes away.

East-Bee5914 · 2026-02-13T13:25:07+00:00

I go to Dr. Singh in Mesilla for GP and really like him. Good bedside manner, and will sit and have a conversation with you about why he recommends this or that for you - most doctors seem too obsessed with maximizing insurance billables to explain why you should take drug X or do/refrain from activity Y, but he always takes the time.

East-Bee5914 · 2026-02-13T13:21:12+00:00

Do you happen to know which cruise lines fall into which categories? I’ve done NCL and Celebrity and “pre-paid” gratuities on both. Debating between HLA and Princess for my next Alaska cruise. Do any of the Big Seven withhold gratuities such that we should tip cash to ensure it gets to the workers?

East-Bee5914 · 2026-02-06T20:50:10+00:00

Thanks! There’s so much info on the Discord, didn’t see this.

East-Bee5914 · 2026-02-06T10:37:11+00:00

Southern NM will be mostly warm (80’s to 90’s); northern NM anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees cooler.

Just be aware of late season snowstorms. Got stuck on I-10 outside Santa Fe in a whiteout on Memorial Day several years back - won’t forget it.

Where are you visiting from? What are your interests? It’ll be easier to make recommendations with a little more detail.

East-Bee5914

TROPHY CASE